Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 253
the bogey leader spots the eastern fighter and turns toward it. As the bogey
wingman begins to follow his leader, the pilot of the western fighter sees a
shot opportunity coming, reverses hard, and fires a heat-seeking missile at
the trailing bogey from its belly-side. The shot is unobserved, and the
missile appears to begin tracking toward the target.
Figure 6-6 shows that, between the missile firing at time "2" and impact
at time "3," the eastern fighter and the lead bogey approach a close head-on
pass. The shooter is hypnotized by the sight of his missile's smoke, the
fireball, and the subsequent ejection of the bogey pilot, and he temporarily
loses track of the other aircraft. Meanwhile the pilot of the eastern fighter
has to jink to avoid the debris, sees his wingman cross in front, and (after
the shooter's victory whoop) calls him to come left to join in combat spread
(time "4"). During all the excitement the pilots of both fighters lose sight
of the bogey leader, and neither of them knows whether he disengaged or
not.
In Figure 6-7 the victors close up their formation for a better defensive
posture, make sure they have sight of each other, and quickly check the
area visually. Having been successful to this point, the section is eager to
return and engage the remaining bogey, so the leader calls a tac left at time
"5," and then immediately calls another to complete the reversal at time
"6." The bogey pilot, meanwhile, has both fighters in sight and, being
somewhat annoyed, has been stalking the section from a distance. At time
"7" he is able to convert to a rear-quarter firing position on the nearest
fighter and cuts loose with a heat-seeking missile.
Figure 6-6. Two-versus-Two Engagement (Continued)